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BULLETIN 19 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Inkatha Freedom Party criticises the suggested election date 
# Business Leadership South Africa says the budget speech is more critical than ever 
# And Rugby: England’s Alex Mitchell is ruled out of the Scotland game

# The IFP has condemned deputy president Paul Mashatile for suggesting that the general elections might be held on the 24th of May. IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa slammed the idea of holding the election on a Friday, alleging it to be a political tactic by the ANC to influence the outcome. Various political parties, including the IFP, have been calling on president Cyril Ramaphosa to announce the voting date:

# Business Leadership South Africa says the upcoming budget speech is more critical than ever to business sentiment. Finance minister, Enoch Godongwana, will deliver the budget speech on Wednesday. The business organisation’s CEO, Busisiwe Mavuso, says there has been a clear effort to rein in spending, but the challenge is that the economy has not cooperated. She says some of the key issues she will be watching out for in the budget include the financial predicament of Transnet and Eskom, infrastructure investment, and changes to tax rates.

# The City of Cape Town says it is keenly aware of the economic and environmental value of the circular economy wherein products are re-used or recycled instead of filling up landfills. This is a sector that, according to GreenCape’s 2022 Waste Market Intelligence Report, has the potential to add up to 5-billion-rand in value to the city’s economy each year. Mayoral committee member for Economic Growth, James Vos, says Cape Town can help to maximise synergies between companies and across sectors:

# Rugby: England scrum-half, Alex Mitchell, has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against Scotland in the Six Nations due to a knee injury. The 26-year-old, who was originally an emergency Rugby World Cup call-up in August last year, following the long-term injury to Jack van Poortvliet, has started in eight of England’s last ten matches. Mitchell will likely be replaced by Danny Care or Ben Spencer. England is second in the Six Nations standings with eight points, behind defending champions Ireland.

# And finally: South African Airways marked a milestone, celebrating 90-years in aviation. Despite facing near-collapse due to mismanagement and financial turmoil, SAA underwent successful business rescue, steering clear of liquidation. The airline, post-rescue, considered a majority share sale to Takatso Aviation, although the deal remains pending. Speaking at the festivities, Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan assures no further bailouts are needed:

Stay tuned for more news………….